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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mark — a grade
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — a trace
  5. press — a publisher
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. land — ground
  14. can — to be able to
  15. prune — to trim
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. press — to push
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com